Redcliffe (4020)
28 km to the north of Brisbane on a peninsula surrounded by Moreton Bay, Redcliffe (4020) was named for the red cliffs by John Oxley who was looking for the site of a penal colony on behalf of the Governor of NSW. Indeed, it became Queensland’s first colony in 1824 but was abandoned a year later for Brisbane which had better port access and a more reliable water supply. Following this in the 1860s, Redcliffe became a farming community and in the late 1800s, Redcliffe experienced a population boom as a popular seaside resort for Brisbane day trippers aboard paddle steamers which were promptly replaced by automobiles once the Hornibrook Bridge connecting Redcliffe to the Brighton was completed in 1935. This heralded rapid suburban growth and development.
Redcliffe can claim many past residents who have achieved fame and fortune on an international scale including three bothers from the Gibb family who in 1958 emigrated from England to live in Redcliffe for a time. They went on to form the highly successful Bee Gees who have been remembered with statues and a walkway opened by the last remaining Bee Gee in 2013.
Other Redcliffe attractions include a number of beaches which are the basis for beach sports, outdoor fitness and skydiving, the jetty which is also a departure point for whale watching, Settlement Cove with its extensive lagoon, playgrounds and picnic facilities, the Museum, Arts Precinct, Art Gallery, Botanical Gardens, and Showgrounds home to an annual show, to name just a few. There are also a growing number of restaurants, eateries and cafes along the foreshore as well as a large RSL complex.
Redcliffe is fast becoming a very busy suburb with crowded markets held all along the foreshore every Sunday and a plethora of festivals celebrated every year. Redcliffe Remembers to honour its first settlement heritage, the KiteFest, the Jetty Fiesta, Spring Break Beach Party, and the Blessing of the Waters to support its multicultural community.
This vibrant revival together with its position on Moreton Bay and easy access to Brisbane has encouraged a housing boom and population growth in the area, particularly of downsizing baby boomers seeking to retire. Consequently, there has been an increased construction of high-density high rise apartment buildings with mixed commercial use on the ground floor. There are four schools in the area, numerous gyms, a health and fitness precinct, a harness racing club, no end of sporting clubs and almost every interest and hobby is catered for.
There is also a very active university of the third age. In 2011, about 9200 people lived in Redcliffe, their average age being 44 years, almost all being Anglo-Australian speaking only English at home.
